Luffy's Grand Line Discovery: Devils Fruit Island?
by Kaizoku-Ou Ni Naru
Summary: The Mugiwara Kaizoku have left Water 7 after returning safely from Enies Lobby. They find themselves ambushed by a strange creature and end up high and dry on a strange island with a secret, and a guardian.
1. Chapter 1

-Chapter 1-

It was an exceedingly mild day on the Thousand Sunny, the sun was high and there were gentle waves playing against the hull of the one of the newest additions to the Strawhat Pirates, it was a relaxing period of downtime for the pirate crew. Rest for Zoro was sword practice and weight training in the crow's nest. Robin was on the deck reading, enjoying yet another book from the expanded library along with an amazing drink made by Sanji. Chopper was next to her reading about the latest advances Medical Technology, all the while eating cotton candy. Nami was at the wheel of the Sunny with the safe of what money remained in their ever dwindling funds under her high heel, her senses ever aware of the wind's every fluctuation. Franky had taken a break from the wheel to sunbathe for the simple fact that there was no ship work to be done (also that, thanks to Robin's cruelty, standing or walking were not fun at the moment). Sanji was busy in the kitchen organizing his new cooking area ever prepared for Luffy to ask him for food, yet again. But at this point in time he would not be interrupted before he brought Nami her bento of love. Usopp was napping in a hammock, his newly framed wanted poster in his arms. Luffy was on his seat on the head of the Lion head at the front of the ship. He was having trouble keeping his excitement at bay, for there was an energy in the sea air that could not be detected by the untrained eye, the day held the promise of an adventure. Luffy was always the keenest to these changes in the air, more so than Nami was to any change in the sea, or Chopper to anyone's health, or Franky to the slightest creak in the ship. The sun shone from behind the myriad clouds like Luffy's dream of being pirate king through the adversity on the grand line.  
"Nami, turn the ship to the left" Luffy said suddenly  
Nami was trying, as always, to pretend like Sanji's advances were getting him nowhere. "Huh? wh-wha" Nami said coming back to reality. "We are in perfect alignment with the log p…"  
"NOW" shouted Luffy standing up on the bow of the boat in a fighting stance. With Franky's help Nami the turned the ship just as a wall of water rose inches from where the ship had been headed towards, splashing water on deck and rocking the Thousand Sunny from top to bottom.  
"GOMU GOMU NO....." shouted the soaking wet captain through an entirely out of place smile as he twisted his arm as he threw it backwards. His arm stretching twirling like so much rubber, became taught at its furthest length only to be sent flying in the other direction at an alarming rate "RIFLE!!!" Whatever happened to be in the rising wall of water never had a chance. The puffer fish like sea king was in the direct line of an unstoppable attack with no cover in sight.  
All eyes were on the sea king, but there was something different about this one. Something that Zoro had noticed three seconds before the attack landed. The sea king, was made entirely of crystal.


	2. Chapter 2

-Chapter 2-

"Luffy STOP!!" Zoro shouted from the crow's nest.  
The Devils fruit user had noticed his mistake but had no chance to reverse his attack that resulted from instinct. The punch landed inches away from the beast's razor sharp pelvic fins driving through the abnormal fish like a bullet through glass. The difference that was the most readily apparent is what metal does to glass going through it as opposed to what glass does to any rubbery flesh going through it. Luffy's arm shot through the disintegrating mass, all the while being scratched and torn through every inch of the creature. Chopper was looking on at the scene in horror, rubber or not Luffy was going to lose his arm because of the thousands of shards of crystal working together to shred his arm, like so many little knives. _If he pulls back_, Chopper thought, _it would be the end of his arm. Literally.  
_ Zoro sat in his crow's nest unable to move, his thoughts in disarray _a devil's fruit user? IN THE OCEAN_?!?!?

"TRENTA FLEUR" shouted Robin "WRAP"  
An armada of identical arms sprouted from Luffy's right arm forming a cocoon around it. His arm was saved. He was in too much pain as it was to appreciate the gravity of the small victory. As his arm retracted Robins arms were already at work taking out any remaining pieces glass.  
The breath taking beauty of the mist of crystal shards ensured everyone's stillness for another full minute as the writhing mass of identical arms uncoiled themselves from the Luffy's arm as it returned to normal length.  
"LUFFY" everyone shouted as they ran towards their barely conscious captain. Chopper was already getting medicine ready for Luffy's arm.  
"Thank you Robin" Luffy said from the ships deck, his brave smile attempting to ward off any further worry.  
"Just some temporary discomfort, nothing permanent." Robin returned Luffy's smile with one of her own, from the brief but intense pain and from seeing what the length of sea king had done to Luffy's arm.  
Franky, who had very much not been crying out of joy for his captain's safety, was now peering over the edge of the boat. "What was that just now" he wondered aloud, stating the question that was on every one's mind. Usopp had regained control of himself just long enough to say, "it seemed like..." but the words died on his tongue. The nigh undetectable movements in the water, made his blood run cold with horror.  
"MOVE THE SHIP!!" he cried "The fish is reforming!!!!" and so it was, the mass of the clear crystal shards were indeed reforming themselves into becoming whole again. The surface of the water swirled as the shards gathered, as the gravity of the situation spread throughout the deck. Franky had just set in place the paddle dock system moved it to full throttle when the fish rose again; bigger, sharper, and reformed into an eel like creature.


	3. Chapter 3

-Chapter 3-

Its speed was astonishing, it had covered half the distance that Franky had made before anyone could react. Having already recharged the ship's cola engines, Franky was about to launch the ship skyward in order to get away from impending threat.  
"COUP De BURST" he shouted before telling anyone to hold on. The sea king had been in mid jump its razor sharp body inches from the exhaust port when the jet of air knocked it back with such force that it skipped across the water and was thrown into the air. Its course was the exact opposite of the Sunny's current trajectory; which was a benefit Usopp would have taken credit for if he hadn't been hanging on to the stern railing inches from the missed attack, hanging on for dear life.  
Their flight was straight and true, the Luffy enjoyed the bliss of unfettered flight (not so much as being out of harm's way)...that is until the bow of the ship found itself smashed through a glass wall, their ship rapidly falling. The rain of glass added a new dimension of insanity to the air born Pirate ship, everyone shielded their eyes from the spray of blinding glass and were unable to brace for impact. It was rough, to say the least. Franky who had been posing while shouting "SUPER!!" was thrown into the mast. Zoro had held his ground by planting his katana in the deck. Sanji was waiting for Nami and Robin to fly forward into his outstretched arms, but missed his chance when he was grounded by a low flying Chopper. Nami and Robin were saved by a web of Robin's hands between the two of the mikan bushes. Usopp was unlucky enough to shot into the air along with Luffy. Luffy, having won the race to the ground, was shot back into the air like a rubber ball. The two crew-mates met mid air as Usopp was bounced higher into the air by the now out of control, ricocheting, rubber man. To stop his new found affinity for bouncing Luffy wrapped an arm around a passing tree, which gave way almost immediately, Luffy found himself being bounced about all over again. Despite the sudden landing and the captain's distraction all eyes went skywards and watched the plummeting spec that was Usopp come into view. As always Robin was prepared...  
"Cien Fleur" she said "Chute"  
As soon as she had said this, thousands of strands of hair came out of the dazed Usopp's back and began to form themselves into a parachute. The strands worked their way around each other until Usopp was drifting slowly out of the sky like a snowflake. Luffy was still ricocheting with no sign of slowing. Zoro took it upon himself to stop the bouncing Captain, he drew his two swords and turned them backward and crossed them as he launched himself at the rock Luffy was about to hit. This would be tricky, too soon and it would spell curtains or blood for Luffy. The crossed points met on the rock with Luffy in between them. Zoro held fast as the ricocheting subsided and Luffy's body returned to normal.


	4. Chapter 4

-Chapter 4-

As the initial shock subsided as the world began to turn again, it was time for questions.

"What is this pla..." Nami managed after the silence.  
"I don't know" said a dazed Chopper " it would seem...what? why are you looking at me like that?" he asked Nami.  
Her mouth was agape...it was all that she could do not to scream at what she saw. It was Chopper, but, human. Chopper was confused thoroughly, "I feel kinda weird, but tha...AHH!!!!" he screamed as he took notice of his previously harry palms to see that he was in his human from, but perfectly human. His hair was the same color his fur usually was although somehow the blue of his nose had found its way into his eyes.  
There was a unanimous 'EHHH!?!?!' that followed this new development. Everyone was confused and ever so slightly unaware that their ship was stranded upon an island suspended in the air.  
"Curious...It would seem," Robin began "that the effects of out respective devils fruits have been magnified somehow." She continued to look at the descending figure that was Usopp, now limp and crying with fear, as he fell below tree level.  
Robin was curious about the theory she had just formulated. "Una Fleur" she whispered. The customary sakura petals accompanied her power were present but what appeared was different than any number of her arms, there stood before the crew a perfect Robin replica. It began moving on its own while Robin controlled it from a still position, arms crossed in front of her. It was at this point that Sanji began to think of the implications of multiple Robins, thus began the nose bleed, it poured like a fountain until Sanji was reduced to a pale, smiling, but twitching pile on the floor.  
"COOL" Luffy exclaimed, ignoring most everything "I wonder if i'll stretch more?" he wondered this aloud while pulling his arm back to test out his new power boost. Chopper, who had stopped crying in the fetal position long enough to notice that Luffy's arm was healed, the ricocheting had torn off the bandages, his arm perfectly healed. Sanji, having recovered from blood loss realized that they had crashed through the same type of crystal that had caused Luffy's arm injury.  
"Luffy NO!!" shouted Sanji as he dashed forward. Sanji was just in time, having done a flipping ax kick, his heel and Luffy's fist met, deflecting the punch downward. The force of the kick, however did little more than bounce the attack. It was enough to send it flying skyward at an astonish speed. It traveled toward the top of the glass bubble they found themselves in and made contact with the side of it. The crew below could only stare in wonder at Luffy's arm which, it seemed, would not stop traveling upwards. After a full minute at a fantastic speed, the stretching slowed and began its journey back. As the arm returned many times faster than it had come, Luffy had thought of a way of stopping it. As it neared the captain, he stepped aside throwing his weight into pulling it downward harder. The increase in speed and the whip like motion caused the arm to be implanted into the ground, which prevented it from another flight. Luffy was done stretching for a while. This fact did not stop him from noticing that there were shards of glass in his arm, but that they were held in place, very much not slicing his skin. His body had become so much like rubber that it adhered to the shape of whatever it came in contact with more readily. more like putty. Sanji saw this and after putting two and two together ushered everyone to one side of the ship made clearing. Soon thereafter the shower of crystal they had seen now twice before. It was Nami's turn to speak.

"The entire island is surrounded by a bubble of crystal, like the fish was made of...that means the fish is...this islands.. guardian?" she stared into space at her own deduction.  
"That's not all" said Chopper, "the bubble is suspended in the air." he said blankly, "we collided mid flight and did not fall the same distance we rose."  
"Hmm....Oh i get it! Its a mystery bubble!" said Luffy with an air of understanding that was entirely misplaced. Heaving a large sigh in unison the crew agreed and decided against trying to explain what had happened.  
"At any rate" said Franky clapping his hands of dirt "we need to have a look around to see which way is the way out, the impact rattled the frame a bit but there was nothing substantial" the ship was now on stilts and any trace of the landing debris was completely gone. "We could launch out of here, but it would be best to know which way is out before the ship is run aground again form a height it cant stand."  
There was naught but silent assent from the rest of the crew. Zoro was the first to speak "so, Captain, which way?" he said, eyes closed.  
"It would seem he is in the middle of deciding." Robin said with an amused smirk on her face. One by one the rest of the crew began to notice Luffy's decision making tactic. Their captain was spinning around with his eyes closed, pointing a finger out, determined to go forward from where it stopped. This was Nami's breaking point. In the span of thirty seconds Luffy had been punched through and tangled within an uprooted tree in a very creative way.  
"Franky please carry the captain while those of us WITH brains decide where to go" Nami hissed in a voice that was colder than Ao Kiji on a good day. The shipwright obeyed with amazing speed No amount of steel could protect me from THAT he thought as he hoisted the tree, captain and all over his shoulder standing silently as Nami led the discussions for what should be done next. There were no suggestions. "Did anyone see Anything while we were falling?" Nami inquired pleadingly. Silence was all that answered her.  
Usopp, who had recently regained consciousness was looking around in a paranoid manner because it was getting dark. "t-there is a tower in that direction" Usopp pointed a shaking finger to his left. He had not wanted to say that because the tower was creepy looking. However it was better by far than having to stay in a dark scarier jungle overnight.  
This pleased Nami, but it wasn't about to show, "That way is north, lets get going...NOW!!" she grabbed Zoro by the collar and led him in the right direction just as he was about to exit the clearing in the opposite direction. They filed out leaving the ship after they had grabbed a few belongings from the ship.


	5. Chapter 5

-Chapter 5-

On their walk through the forest it was apparent that this place was a strange one . Chopper spotted a snake over head that changed its body, except its head and tail, into a kite shape and began gliding away, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but it was gone. Chopper thought no more of it because no one else had mostly because he saw nothing else of the sort along the way. Sanji, when not staring at Robin or Nami as he walked behind them, was that certain trees had eerily familiar swirl markings that he knew and before he could put sufficient thought into it he found himself staring, yet again, at the two women.  
A long while later they arrived at the tower that Usopp had spoken about. It was a mix between a cottage and a pagoda it was no more than a few stories high but none the less an ornately built pagoda. There were lights on inside and the gentle breeze wafted the scent of food toward the weary and famished crew. Luffy's head jerked up from his sleep "FOOD!!!" he exclaimed as he burst out of the tree he was embedded into, which exploded into splinters, and all that was seen thereafter was a blur entering the pagoda.  
The crew ran after their reckless captain and found themselves inside Zoro had Luffy by the back of the shirt, Luffy was a few steps away from the entrance, mere inches from knocking over a model of what seemed to be an island covered by trees. Connected to different trees were strings that were tied to clocks on the wall. The model was resting on an ornate table made of the same crystal as the dome and the sea king. The island replica was circular and included a perfect replica of the pagoda house, the thousand sunny on stilts, and figurines of all of the crew. The Straw hats stood in wonder at the table and what was beyond it. It was a surprisingly long room for what seemed to be a relatively small pagoda cottage, in the middle of the room was a banquet of food. Without a second thought Luffy ran around the model to the table and began eating. There were seven places for food and more food than even Luffy could eat in one sitting. But there was nothing that would stop him from trying. Zoro was the first to shrug off the initial reflex not to fall for a seemingly obvious trap. He grabbed a bottle of sake and a mug and began to drink out of it, his logic being that anyone who poisoned good alcohol was damned to a fate worse than anything he could muster.  
As the weariness of the day's events set in, the rest of the crew followed suit until they were all seated and eating. The food they were eating was strange in that it was all fruits, vegetables, and seafood that none in the crew had eaten before. The meal was vast and scrumptious, Sanji was mildly impressed, but overall it was an extremely welcome meal.  
"KI KI KI!" rang out a booming voice from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Could it be that ye are pirates? Ye seem to be. Ye are certainly not birds! KI KI KI!!"


	6. Chapter 6

-Chapter 6-

Luffy was standing alongside Zoro, whose swords were drawn as soon as the laughter-accompanied monologue had begun. They remained silent and were searching the room carefully when Luffy spotted a figure within the shadows of a far corner.

"KI KI KI! Surely ye will not attack someone who is your host?" said the figure in the corner.

"Host? Then you made all of that food? Thanks alo.." Luffy began.

"Who are you?" Asked Zoro as a vein in his forehead throbbed, one hand focused on his sword, one hand focused upon silencing his idiotic captain.

"Me? I am Mori, Mori Mokuzai" said the figure as he stepped into the light. His apparent age was the primary feature that caught everyone's attention, he had a sharp crooked nose that accentuated the gauntness of his face and to the rest of his body as well, he was tan with forest green eyes and hair that resembled a tangled mass of vines, his hands were long with sharp claw-like fingers. He stood about the height of the ceiling, seven or eight feet, looking down at the crew as if trying to piece together a puzzle.  
"You...you didn't happen to...pick any of the fruit outside, did you?"

At this point Luffy had lost interest and was back to eating "mo..mot rere" he said between bites of fish.

"I see you have a gift already, but you...still" Mori said between the silence. "you two as well" he said pointing a sharp finger toward Robin and human chopper.

Robin was on the verge of figuring out what was going on, but decided to ask her question anyway "Mokuzaki-san what is this place?"

Mori snapped out of his daze almost immediately "Oh of course, where are my manners, I humbly bid you welcome to Devils Fruit Island"

"NAAAANI!?!?!?!" Shouted the crew in unanimous disbelief.

Zoro had returned his swords to their respective sheathes and gave an apathetic scoff. Usopp had yet to move out of shock but was the first to speak. "Y-y-y-you mean this is the island that is the power house behind the greatest abilities in the World?"

"So it seems" said Mori his smile returning.

Despite the humidity a cold chill ran down the length of Nami's spine as another thought occurred to her. "Does that mean, you have an ability?"

"Of course, I can't imagine why not" He shrugged, as a mischievous smirk played across his face.

When he spoke no further Chopper ventured "And which power do you have?"

"I have eaten the Toki Toki no Mi (Time Time Fruit)" he stated plainly


	7. Chapter 7

-Chapter 7-

The Crew froze; the seconds seemed to melt into minute upon minute as no one moved a muscle. Thousands of thoughts flashed through their mind as the gravity of the statement sent their minds reeling. Except, of course, Luffy who was preoccupied by the meal in front of him, he stopped suddenly. "Like that Noro Noro guy?"

Mori happily sneered "No nothing like that, I am able to travel through time at a normal rate."

"WOOOOW" Luffy and Chopper exclaimed in unison.

"OI" Shouted the irate pirate crew.

"KI KI KI" Mori began to laugh uproariously, dodging one of Nami's shoes and ignoring Sanji's curses for scaring 'Nami-swan'. His laugh subsided "you saw through my ploy" he seated himself on the dirt floor in which his feet were buried. He motioned for those present to do likewise, as they sat in a semi circle before him, his face grew serious. He began his tale in a slow and steady voice "in order to share with you what my gift is, I must share with you how I came to be here; forgive me for doing so." he pleaded, a wistful expression on his face "it has been so long since I have seen anyone from the world below."  
"Please continue with your story Mori-san" Robin said reassuringly.  
"Thank you. My story begins 90 years ago, I was a young boy in a small village on the cost of an island in the south Blue. My family lived humbly but happily" the storyteller's eyes held a distant glaze as he recalled things long past "my father... was a fisherman by trade, he fished everyday to ensure that we were able to eat. He fell sick one day, three days passed and he was unable to fish. So on the fourth day I took my father's boat out, determined to catch a big fish. I ran into a ship of pirates after having gone too far out. When they asked me where I came from I the pirates treated me horridly, I was starved, beaten, I became a slave. The thought that got me through that horrible time was the hope that I could see my family again. It seemed a sort of poetic justice that their sense of direction was sorely mistaken. They drifted aimlessly into a horrible storm that wracked the ship to its core. The wicked storm that battered the ship was unnatural. Amidst the chaos the ship was torn apart by something, a great kraken ripped through the hull like paper within seconds. Before I was knocked unconscious I beheld what I thought was a dream; it was made entirely of crystal. I wandered in and out of consciousness for what I can only assume was days of drifting through the ocean, I was alive though, traveling in a bubble made of glass. When I finally awoke I found that the bubble was rising through a pillar made of the same material. The bubble emerged from a fountain at the center of this island and split in two. I was in front of a small hut and there was a man waiting there. It was there that I met the last of the tribe of guardians who have protected this island for hundreds of years. As he fed me he told me his story:

"This island was once a paradise inhabited by a collection of people from all over the world who had found its secret and were sworn to protect it. The decades of ceaselessly defending the island with the power of the devils fruits had made the tribe strong." He paused, holding back his emotion. "They were never prepared for the might of the World Government, who had wanted the island under their flag, they were attacked ruthlessly. The battles became increasingly fierce and bloody until few remained. The few that remained were slaughtered one by one until he alone remained, separated from anyone he had grown up on the island with, he fought them to the last on the shore. He was saved by the ancient guardian of this island, Kura, the Only aquatic Devil's fruit user in existence. Together the eliminated the remaining world government forces, sank their ships, and surrounded the Island in a crystal ball and raised it on a crystal pillar.

"He told me that I had been chosen by fate to be the guardian of the island in his place. I agreed, I was given my devils fruit the Moku Moku no Mi (Tree Tree Fruit). I was trained in the secrets of raising these many plants that spawn these devil's fruit tree's. My master Zuiikin was twice as old as I am, his body perfectly trained to perfection, maintained by his devil's fruit the Suji Suji no Mi (Muscle Muscle Fruit) it kept his muscles in perfect shape, but over those many years the rest of his body aged naturally. He passed only 5 years after I arrived. It has been my job since then to care for this forest and this island." as he finished he sighed, a sort of relief that his tale had been told.


	8. Chapter 8

-Chapter 8-

One question still burned in Robin's mind after having heard all of this. "Then why here? Why is it that only here the devil's fruits blossom?". "Then why is it that our powers were increased. Why is it that in this of all places and Only here do devil's fruits grow?"

Luffy who had been eating the entire time suddenly jerked to attention. "Ya, what's with this mystery-island?"  
Mori sat back as though he was pondering the question. "Yes, how shall I explain?" Mori sat in silence for quite some time before moving, his fingertips pressed against one another as he thought. " This is secret is one that I do not take lightly, more so than the location of this island, you must swear never to reveal either of these things." After the crew swore in turn not to he proceeded. "The ancient once thought that the gods had planted a star from the sky here, causing the devil's fruits to grow. The truth is that a meteor landed here. That meteor...well let me show you." Without any further indication, Mori rose to his full height and began walking toward the back of the house. He stopped at the far end of the room, he drew back a curtain, motioning for the crew to pass through the ornately carved archway. They were led down several sets of stairs and onto a wooden circle in the middle of a small room. The circle began to move downwards; just as the encroaching darkness had swallowed the crew, a circle of light opened up around the base of the shaft as the platform lowered into a spacious circular room. The room was white all over, which amplified the myriad light sources around the room. Mori stood before the crew as they looked all around, speechless and unable to move from the platform. "Behold! The secret of the Devil's Fruits."

Once again the crew fell silent in awe of their predicament. Robin was the first one to step off of the platform. She reached toward the floor and felt the rock beneath her. "This can't be is this..."

"Moon rock. You seem to be the most astute of this pirate crew." Mori said with admiration."KI KI KI!!! This is a part of the moon itself, it seems that this is the only reason devil's fruits can grow here."


	9. Chapter 9

Robin fell to her knees in reverence and shock at this new revelation. Her mind reeling from the overflow of implications, she steadied herself against an all too eager Sanji. "Could it be…" was all that escaped her quivering lips as she was walked to a nearby seat. "This moon rock amplifies devils fruit powers, showing the potential that mastery of your individual abilities would produce" Continued Mori undaunted "in time each of you will…" As Mori's speech broke he turned to the lift that had brought them to this level. "We must go" when the crew's feet remained rooted he spoke again "now please." As the joined company rose through the lift, a faint chiming echoed from above, playing its way through the opening through which they were rising. When the crew made it back to the main room the noise had heightened to an unbearable level. All of the clocks around the model of the island were going off. Mori drifted through the chaotic barrage, silencing one after another without moving his eyes, he then made his way out the front door.

An ear splitting cry of anguish and horror tore its way through he newly silent house.


End file.
